Sometimes its the simple pleasures in life that can put a smile on our face.  Tonight it was a cup of hot chocolate, Swiss Miss with coconut milk.

Technically, you can use almond milk, rice milk, or even regular cow’s milk if you prefer. You can even use water, too.  I use coconut milk for the health benefits of the coconut and to also avoid consuming too much dairy.

• Heat the Milk or Water

To make it, first heat up 12 ounces of milk.  (Watch it carefully because you don’t want to boil the milk.  Just warm it up enough so that it’s nice and hot.  I actually do this on the stove in a tiny pot.  Sure, you microwave it, but I’m weird in that there are some things that I care to put in the microwave oven, and this is one of them.)

• Add Hot Chocolate Packets

Stir in one or two packets of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate  Milk Chocolate flavor.  I call myself “splurging” by adding two packets to make it nice and choclately.  Of course, this adds more sugar and calories

I get my Swiss Mix packets from my local dollar store, Dollar Tree, for one dollar.  They sells boxes that come with ten packets.  So you can spend $5 and be set for half the year, unless you drink it more than occasionally.

I love it best on winter nights when I’m up late writing.  Just don’t partake of this treat too often, as it contains a lot of sugar.  The next best thing is a cup of hot herbal tea, but that’s another blog post! ;-)